Since 2004, Avondale’s general partners have invested or built more than a dozen successful businesses. On three occasions, we have received designation to the Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing companies in the US.

Our Values

Entrepreneurship

We empower motivated professionals to create their own paths to achievement and growth - we do not force people into a fixed mold. We stay hungry, we continually challenge, support and test ourselves, and we have fun doing it.

Flow

We trust each other, engage in constructive conflict, and hold each other accountable with mutual respect. We strive to play the “Beautiful Game,” making the whole greater than the sum of our diverse and complementary parts.

Partnership

We put our business partners’ needs ahead of our own, helping them achieve both organizational and personal goals. We seek mutually beneficial partnerships with all constituents and focus on growing the whole pie rather than just our slice.

Unconventionality

We are independent thinkers who value novel and unconventional approaches and solutions. We think differently and out of the box.

Honesty & Integrity

We are honest, respectful and ethical in all of our relationships. We do the right thing because it is the right thing to do.

Select Portfolio Investments

Leadership Team

Karl Stark

Karl is a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of Avondale. He has built an impressive track record of launching ventures, advising large corporations on entrepreneurial growth, and partnering with investor groups to create growing businesses. Karl’s experience includes building a health solutions business for a major financial services company, a security technology business for a major security services provider, a small business-focused business for a major insurance company, as well as businesses in print services, metals manufacturing, beverages, and consumer products. Karl led Avondale to achieve rapid growth since its founding in 2004. Avondale Consulting is a three-time Inc. 500/5000 recipient, and in 2011, Avondale was named by Inc. as the 95th fastest growing private company in the nation and the #1 fastest growing strategic advisory firm in the nation. Karl is also a former columnist for Inc.com, where he wrote about strategic and financial issues for growing companies. Prior to founding Avondale, Mr. Stark was a consultant with Marakon Associates, A.T. Kearney, and Sibson & Company. He currently serves on the board of Youth Outreach Services and is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Northwestern University.

Bill Stewart

Bill is the co-founder of Avondale and acts as the team’s lead data scientist, software engineer, and strategic visionary. Bill has played multiple operational and strategic roles across Avondale’s portfolio companies and acted as a key strategic advisor to many of Avondale’s corporate partners. Prior to founding Avondale, Bill was a consultant with Marakon Associates, a strategy firm, where he helped senior management teams of Global 1000 companies identify, develop and implement their highest-value opportunities. Bill was also a Project and Program Manager at Hewlett-Packard where he led the development of test/measurement devices and printers. Bill holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Sean Taylor

Sean is a successful technology entrepreneur. Sean leads the technology strategy for Avondale and advises Avondale’s partners on technology issues. Sean currently acts as CTO of Elagy, one of Avondale’s most successful portfolio companies. Sean founded Jaroop, a technology development firm, in 2010 and grew the company to more than a dozen developers, data scientists, and technologists. In 2015, Sean joined Avondale when it partnered with Jaroop to launch Elagy, Avondale’s insurance technology venture. Prior to Jaroop, Sean was a management consultant at FMI Corporation. Sean holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and a BA in Economics from the University of Connecticut.

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